Kingdom Votes | The Institute for Creation Research

Kingdom Votes

The escalating conflict between ICR and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) concerns many educators, and should concern them all. Remember, ICR's accreditation is not at issue. Rather, ICR is only seeking to relocate its graduate school from California to Texas. Instead of approving ICR's application to grant degrees in Texas, the state agency has evidently taken the authority unto itself to deny any science school that holds a view outside the political or scientific mainstream.

Like Marxist or fascist practice, this approach mandates that there be no challenge to current "politically correct" thought, and ensures the continuance of any error within that thought system. By legislative delegation, the THECB is only charged with granting schools "approval to operate" based on rigorously defined, objective criteria dealing with such issues as students' rights, accuracy in advertising, and financial stability. It has not been commissioned to monitor ideological perspective or academic speech.

The THECB has acknowledged that ICR's faculty credentials are acceptable, and that it meets their standards as defined, but has denied ICR its lawful right to operate in Texas based primarily on their scientific consultants' skewed definition that equates science with "naturalism." The board maintains that since ICR believes in God and the Bible, we can't be true scientists and don't teach real science. It says we deceive the public, and denies us under "truth in advertising."

As often noted in these pages, ICR conducts its science within the perspective of natural law. It does not rely on supernatural action as it relates to present processes, but insists that those present processes are totally incapable of achieving the origins events of the unobserved past. Natural law proceeds in the opposite direction. It can maintain, but not originate, life or the basic types of life. Something else is needed. Scripture tells us of supernatural creative processes operating in the past, and this concept fits scientific observations quite well. We see this as a superior scientific perspective, and we hold it for both scientific and religious reasons.

THECB members are appointed by the governor, who is elected by the people. Federal court justices are appointed by the president, who in turn is elected by the people. The upcoming November elections will have much impact on appointments to federal courts and the Supreme Court. As a tax-exempt organization, ICR cannot recommend particular candidates, but we can and do encourage our readers to vote and vote thoughtfully. A candidate will usually have only a short tenure in office, but judicial appointments can last a generation or more, and can set trends which impact the home as well as schools. Much is at stake.

As president of a Christian organization, let me encourage our readership to "vote Kingdom votes." Select those candidates who best reflect biblical perspectives, who hold Christian views on life and liberty. Choose leaders who will not hamper the church from fulfilling its mandates of evangelism and ministry. Select godly leaders who will in turn select jurists of like mind. God does not promise that our votes can usher in a kingdom of righteousness, but let us use our God-given rights wisely, as accountable stewards.

* Dr. Morris is President of the Institute for Creation Research.

Cite this article: Morris, J. 2008. Kingdom Votes. Acts & Facts. 37 (10): 3.

The Latest
CREATION.LIVE PODCAST
Searching for Truth Across the Globe | Creation.Live Podcast:...
How can we bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the truth of creation to others outside our small spheres of influence?   Host...

NEWS
Marine Mammals: Designed for Deep Diving
While you’re reading this, hold your breath. What is now happening is your blood is delivering the last of oxygenated blood cells to your tissues...

CREATION PODCAST
Humanity's Demise at the Hands of Genetic Entropy | The Creation...
Welcome to the fourth episode in a series called “The Failures of Old Earth Creationism.” Many Christians attempt to fit old earth...

NEWS
''Inside-Out'' Fossil is Amazingly Preserved
It is widely known that vast numbers of fossils—vertebrate and invertebrate—have been discovered incredibly well-preserved.1,2...

NEWS
The Resurrection and the Origin of Life
At Easter time we focus on the cardinal Christian doctrine of the Resurrection. Without the Resurrection, Christianity is a sham. The truth that Jesus...

NEWS
Is an Ancient Extinct Tree-Dweller Our Relative?
Human evolution has always been hazy with seemingly as many attempted explanations for how we evolved from animals as there are paleoanthropologists. Evolutionists...

NEWS
The Return of the Dire Wolf?
There’s been much recent excitement about the birth of three dire wolf (Aenocyon dirus) puppies by a Dallas-based biotech company: Colossal Bioscience....

CREATION PODCAST
Cracks in the Layers: Lake Suigetsu and the Old Earth Illusion...
Welcome to the third episode in a series called “The Failures of Old Earth Creationism.” Many Christians attempt to fit old earth...

NEWS
Fish Fossil Vomit
A rather unsavory news story recently appeared regarding fossilized vomit. Although it’s hardly dinner table conversation, it nonetheless supports...

NEWS
Dino Footprints Down Under
Dinosaur trackways1 are once again making the news. Australia is the setting of a remarkable series of dinosaur tracks attributed to ornithischian...